menu interface for registers

menu interface for registers

[Masatake YAMATO]

I have thought register may be useful for ten years.
However it is not easy to use for me. One of the biggest reason is
that I cannot remember what I have stored to which register; register's 
size of emacs is enough but that of my brain is not enough.
Then I have written a menu interface for registers(regmenu.el).
I think it is worth to distribute regmenu.el with emacs.
I would like to have your comments.

Features:
- Used registers holding a point have menu items: "Jump to" and "Exchange Point with" with help-echo.
- Used registers holding text have menu items: "Insert String" and "Edit String" with help-echo.

Masatake YAMATO
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Before trying, Please apply the patch I posted with Subject: "Using overlay in register".)
;; regmenu.el --- menu interface for registers.

(defgroup register-menu ()
  "Menu interface for registers."
  :group 'register
  :prefix "register-menu-")

(defcustom register-menu-position 'top-level
  "Register menu posiiton in menu bar."
  :group 'register-menu
  :type '(choice (const top-level) (const nested)))
  
(defvar register-menu-base-menu
  (let ((menu (make-sparse-keymap "Registers")))
    (define-key-after menu [point-to] 
      '(menu-item "Store Point to..." point-to-register))
    (define-key-after menu [copy-to] 
      '(menu-item "Store Text to..."  copy-to-register))
    (define-key-after menu [copy-rectangle-to]
      '(menu-item "Store Rectangle to..." copy-rectangle-to-register))
    menu))
  
(defun register-menu-clear-register (register)
  "Clear the contents of REGISTER."
  (interactive "cClear register: ")
  (set-register register nil))

(defun register-menu-exchange-point-and-register (register &optional delete)
  "Do `jump-to-register' and store the last point or window/frame configuration to REGISTER."
  (interactive "cExchange with register: \nP")
  (let ((val (get-register register)))
    (cond
     ((and (consp val) (frame-configuration-p (car val)))
      (frame-configuration-to-register register)
      (set-frame-configuration (car val) (not delete))
      (goto-char (cadr val)))
     ((and (consp val) (window-configuration-p (car val)))
      (window-configuration-to-register register)
      (set-window-configuration (car val))
      (goto-char (cadr val)))
     ((overlayp val)
      (or (overlay-buffer val)
	  (error "That register's buffer no longer exists"))
      (setq val (copy-overlay val))
      (point-to-register register)
      (switch-to-buffer (overlay-buffer val))
      (goto-char (min (overlay-start val) (overlay-end val)))
      (delete-overlay val))
     (t
      (error "Register doesn't contain a buffer position or configuration")))))

(defun register-menu-edit-register (register)
  "Edit the text contents of REGISTER in minibuffer."
  (interactive "cEdit register: ")
  (let ((val (get-register register)))
    (unless (stringp val)
      (error "Register doesn't contain a string"))
    (set-register register (read-from-minibuffer 
			    (format "Edit text for register[%s]: "
				    (single-key-description register))
			    val))))

;;
;; Dynamic menu items setup
;;
(defun register-menu-install-clear-item (menu key)
  (let ((action `(lambda () (interactive) 
		   (register-menu-clear-register ,key))))
    (define-key-after menu (make-vector 1 key)
      `(menu-item ,(single-key-description key) ,action))))

(defun register-menu-make-help-string-for-overlay (overlay)
  (let* ((buffer (overlay-buffer overlay))
	 (pos (min (overlay-start overlay) (overlay-end overlay)))
	 line contents whole-line)
    (save-excursion
      (set-buffer buffer)
      (goto-char pos)
      (setq line (count-lines (point-min) (point))
	    contents (buffer-substring (line-beginning-position 0) 
				       (line-end-position 2))
	    whole-line (count-lines (point-min) (point-max)))
      (format 
       "Buffer: %s\nLine: %d(%d%%)\nLines Around the Register: \n%s"
       (buffer-name buffer)
       line 
       (/ (* line 100) whole-line)
       contents))))

(defun register-menu-install-overlay-item (menu key val)
  (let* ((action `(lambda ()(interactive) (jump-to-register ,key)))
	 (help (register-menu-make-help-string-for-overlay val)))
    (define-key-after menu (make-vector 1 key)
      `(menu-item ,(single-key-description key) ,action :help ,help))))

(defun register-menu-install-exchange-item (menu key val)
  (let* ((action `(lambda ()(interactive) 
		    (register-menu-exchange-point-and-register
		     ,key)))
	 (help (register-menu-make-help-string-for-overlay val)))
    (define-key-after menu (make-vector 1 key)
      `(menu-item ,(single-key-description key) ,action :help ,help))))

(defun register-menu-install-string-item (menu key val)
  (let ((action `(lambda ()(interactive) (insert-register ,key)))
	(help (format "Contents: \n%s" val)))
    (define-key-after menu (make-vector 1 key)
      `(menu-item ,(single-key-description key) ,action :help ,help))))

(defun register-menu-install-edit-item (menu key val)
  (let ((action `(lambda ()(interactive) (register-menu-edit-register ,key)))
	(help (format "Contents: \n%s" val)))
    (define-key-after menu (make-vector 1 key)
      `(menu-item ,(single-key-description key) ,action :help ,help))))

(defun register-menu-install-rectangle-item (menu key val)
  (register-menu-install-string-item menu key val))

(defun menu-bar-update-registers (&optional force)
  (let (register val
	(list (copy-sequence register-alist))
	(menu (copy-sequence register-menu-base-menu))
	(overlays-menu (make-sparse-keymap "Jump to"))
	(exchange-menu (make-sparse-keymap "Exchange Point with"))
	(strings-menu (make-sparse-keymap "Insert String"))
	(edit-menu    (make-sparse-keymap "Edit String"))
	(rectangles-menu (make-sparse-keymap "Insert Rectangle"))
	(clear-menu   (make-sparse-keymap "Clear")))
    (setq list (sort list (lambda (a b) (< (car a) (car b)))))
    (dolist (elt list)
      (setq register (car elt)
	    val (get-register register))
      (when val
	(register-menu-install-clear-item clear-menu register)
	(cond
	 ((and (overlayp val) (overlay-buffer val))
	  (when (not (and (eq (current-buffer) (overlay-buffer val))
			(eq (point) (min (overlay-start val)
					 (overlay-end val)))))
	    (register-menu-install-overlay-item
	     overlays-menu register val)
	    (register-menu-install-exchange-item
	     exchange-menu register val)))
	 ((stringp val)
	  (register-menu-install-string-item
	   strings-menu register val)
	  (register-menu-install-edit-item
	   edit-menu register val))
	 ((and (consp val)
	       (not (frame-configuration-p  (car val)))
	       (not (window-configuration-p (car val))))
	  (register-menu-install-rectangle-item
	   rectangles-menu register val))
	 )))
    (define-key menu [sep0] '("--"))
    (define-key menu [rectangles] `(menu-item 
				    "Insert Rectangle"
				    ,rectangles-menu
				    :keys ,(substitute-command-keys "\\[insert-register]")
				    :enable ,(< 2 (length rectangles-menu))))
    (define-key menu [edit] `(menu-item 
			      "Edit String"
			      ,edit-menu
			      :enable ,(< 2 (length edit-menu))))
    (define-key menu [strings] `(menu-item 
				 "Insert String"
				 ,strings-menu
				 :keys ,(substitute-command-keys "\\[insert-register]")
				 :enable ,(< 2 (length strings-menu))))
    (define-key menu [exchange] `(menu-item
				  "Exchange Point with"
				 ,exchange-menu
				 :enable ,(< 2 (length exchange-menu))))
    (define-key menu [overlays] `(menu-item
				 "Jump to"
				 ,overlays-menu
				 :keys ,(substitute-command-keys "\\[jump-to-register]")
				 :enable ,(< 2 (length overlays-menu))))
    (define-key-after menu [sep2] '("--"))
    (define-key-after menu [clear] `(menu-item
				     "Clear"
				     ,clear-menu
				     :enable ,(< 2 (length clear-menu))))
    (cond
     ((eq register-menu-position 'top-level)
      (define-key-after (current-global-map) [menu-bar register]
	(cons "Registers" menu)))
     ((eq register-menu-position 'nested)
      (define-key-after menu-bar-edit-menu [register]
	(cons "Registers" menu) 'bookmark)
      ))))

(add-hook 'menu-bar-update-hook 'menu-bar-update-registers)
(menu-bar-update-registers)

(provide 'regmenu)
;; regmenu.el ends here.

Re: menu interface for registers

[Richard Stallman]

First, would you please tell me what this code does?
What is the user interface?  All you said is that it somehow
defines menus that relate to registers.  That could mean many
different things.

We do not want to add a top level menu bar item
for such a specialized purpose, so if this feature uses
one, it could not be enabled by default.

Can you explain more clearly when you use this and how?
You said it has something to do with forgetting what you
stored in the registers.  Could you please be more specific?

Re: menu interface for registers

[Masatake YAMATO]

> First, would you please tell me what this code does?
> What is the user interface?  All you said is that it somehow
> defines menus that relate to registers.  That could mean many
> different things.

My explanation was not enough.

My code added "Registers" menu item to global menu-bar or 
next to Edit=>Bookmarks. (The position where the menu item is
added is customizable.) Here after, "Registers" menu item is
on the  menu-bar like:

================================================================
File   Edit    Options     Buffer    Tools    Registers   Help
================================================================

Consider register ?a has a marker as value. I focus on "Registers"
menu item. Let's open the menu:

================
 Registers
+=======================
| Jump to              >|
+-----------------------+
| Insert String        >|
+-----------------------+
| Store Point to...     |
+-----------------------+
| Store String to...    |
+-----------------------+

If you move the mouse cursor to "Jump to", a sub menu is appeared:

================
 Registers
+=======================
| Jump to             =>|+---+
+-----------------------+| a |
| Insert String        >|+---+
+-----------------------+
| Store Point to...     |
+-----------------------+
| Store String to...    |
+-----------------------+

The sub menu contains ?a, because the register ?a has a marker as
value.  Of course, the point moves to the marker associated with ?a
register if you select the menu item.  Further more, tooltip about the
register's value will appear on the ?a sub menu item like:


================
 Registers
+=======================
| Jump to             =>|+---+
+-----------------------+| a | +-------------------+
| Insert String        >|+---+ | Buffer: *scratich |
+-----------------------+      | Line: 10(20%)     |
| Store Point to...     |      +-------------------+ 
+-----------------------+
| Store String to...    |
+-----------------------+

You can set a position by "Store Point to..." menu item(This is the same as C-x r SPC).
Consider you have stored a position to register ?b. When you choose "Jump to" menu, you
will see the sub menu grows like:

================
 Registers
+=======================
| Jump to             =>|+---+
+-----------------------+| a |
| Insert String        >|+---+
+-----------------------+| b |
| Store Point to...     |+---+
+-----------------------+
| Store String to...    |
+-----------------------+

The same function for registers having strings value is also
available. Tooltips of the sub menu item for registershaving strings
value are the strings themselves. Consider registers ?c has a string,
"we are referring to freedom":

================
 Registers
+=======================
| Jump to             =>|
+-----------------------+
| Insert String        >|+---+
+-----------------------+| c | +-----------------------------+
| Store Point to...     |+---+ | Contents:                   |
+-----------------------+      | we are referring to freedom |
| Store String to...    |      +-----------------------------+
+-----------------------+

You can know the value of registers quickly by pull down menu.

If you find something unclear, tell me.
Masatake YAMATO

Re: menu interface for registers

[Richard Stallman]

Now it is clear.  However, I don't think this is very useful.
The main benefit of registers is that you can use them quickly.
To use them through these menus would make them slow and clunky.

Thanks anyway.